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BIOMASS
Industrial biomass can be grown from numerous types of plant, including miscanthus,
switchgrass, hemp, corn, poplar, willow, sorghum, sugarcane, and a variety of tree
species, ranging from eucalyptus to oil palm (palm oil). The particular plant used is
usually not important to the end products, but it does affect the processing of the raw
material.
Although fossil fuels have their origin in ancient biomass, they are not considered
biomass by the generally accepted definition because they contain carbon that has been
"out" of the carbon cycle for a very long time. Their combustion therefore disturbs the
carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere.
Plastics from biomass, like some recently developed to dissolve in seawater, are made the
same way as petroleum-based plastics. These plastics are actually cheaper to manufacture
and meet or exceed most performance standards, but they lack the same water resistance
or longevity as conventional plastics.
Biomass – this is an organic matter from plants, animals and micro-organism grown on
land and water and their derivatives. The energy obtained from biomass is called biomass
energy. Biomass is considered as a renewable source of energy.
Biomass resources:
In our country there is a great potential for application of biomass as an alter sources of
energy. The following are the biomass resources:
1. concentrated wastes :
(1) municipal solid
(2) sewage wood product
(3) industrial waste
(4) manure at large lots.
2. Dispersed waste residue:
(1) crop residue
(2) Logging residue
(3) disposed manner
3. Harvested biomass:
(1) standing biomass
(2) biomass energy plantations.
Biomass conversion process: The following processes are used for the biomass
conversion to energy or biofuels :
1. Direct combustion.
2. Thermo chemical conversion.
3. Biochemical conversion.
Biogas plants
Biogas
The main sources of production of biogas is wet cow dung some of other sources are :
(1) Sewage
(2) crop residue
(3) vegetable wastes
(4) Water hyacinth
(5) Alga
(6) poultry droppings
(7) pig manure
(8) ocean kelp
Biogas Applications
Biogas is a flameable fuelgas with 60% CH4 and rest CO2. The gas can be upgraded by
removel of CO2 with water scuribbing and the gas with high heating value can be usedin
i.C. Engine . The main Application of biogas are:
(1) Cooking.
(2) Domestic lighting and heating.
(3) I.C. engine
(4) fuel cells
Biomass sources
Biomass energy is derived from three distinct energy sources: wood, waste, and alcohol
fuels. Wood energy is derived both from direct use of harvested wood as a fuel and from
wood waste streams. The largest source of energy from wood is pulping liquor or “black
liquor,” a waste product from processes of the pulp, paper and paperboard industry.
Waste energy is the second-largest source of biomass energy. The main contributors of
waste energy are municipal solid waste (MSW), manufacturing waste, and landfill gas.
Biomass alcohol fuel, or ethanol, is derived almost exclusively from corn. Its principal
use is as an oxygenate in gasoline.[4]
Biomass can be converted to other usable forms of energy like methane gas or
transportation fuels like ethanol and biodiesel. Methane gas is the main ingredient of
natural gas. Smelly stuff, like rotting garbage, and agricultural and human waste, release
methane gas - also called "landfill gas" or "biogas." Crops like corn and sugar cane can
be fermented to produce the transportation fuel, ethanol. Biodiesel, another transportation
fuel, can be produced from left-over food products like vegetable oils and animal fats.
Also, Biomass to liquids (BTLs) and cellulosic ethanol are still under research.
There are a number of technological options available to make use of a wide variety of
biomass types as a renewable energy source. Conversion technologies may release the
energy directly, in the form of heat or electricity, or may convert it to another form, such
as liquid biofuel or combustible biogas. While for some classes of biomass resource there
may be a number of usage options, for others there may be only one appropriate
technology.
Thermal conversion
These are processes in which heat is the dominant mechanism to convert the biomass into
another chemical form. The basic alternatives are separated principally by the extent to
which the chemical reactions involved are allowed to proceed: Combustion,Torrefaction,
Pyrolysis,Gasification.
There are a number of other less common, more experimental or proprietary thermal
processes that may offer benefits such as hydrothermal upgrading (HTU) and
hydroprocessing. Some have been developed for use on high moisture content biomass,
including aqueous slurries, and allow them to be converted into more convenient forms.
Some of the Applications of thermal conversion are Combined heat and power (CHP)
and Co-firing.
Chemical conversion
A range of chemical processes may be used to convert biomass into other forms, such as
to produce a fuel that is more conveniently used, transported or stored, or to exploit some
property of the process itself.
Biochemical conversion
Biochemical conversion makes use of the enzymes of bacteria and other micro-organisms
to break down biomass. In most cases micro-organisms are used to perform the
conversion process: anaerobic digestion, fermentation and composting. Other chemical
processes such as Converting straight and waste vegetable oils into biodiesel is
transesterification.
Environmental impact
On combustion the carbon from biomass is released into the atmosphere as carbon
dioxide (CO2). The amount of carbon stored in dry wood is approximately 50% by
weight. When from agricultural sources, plant matter used as a fuel can be replaced by
planting for new growth. When the biomass is from forests, the time to recapture the
carbon stored is generally longer, and the carbon storage capacity of the forest may be
reduced overall if destructive forestry techniques are employed.
The existing commercial biomass power generating industry in the United States, which
consists of approximately 1,700 MW (megawatts) of operating capacity actively
supplying power to the grid, produces about 0.5 percent of the U.S. electricity supply.
Currently, the New Hope Power Partnership is the largest biomass power plant in North
America. The 140 MW facility uses sugar cane fiber (bagasse) and recycled urban wood
as fuel to generate enough power for its large milling and refining operations as well as to
supply renewable electricity for nearly 60,000 homes. The facility reduces dependence on
oil by more than one million barrels per year, and by recycling sugar cane and wood
waste, preserves landfill space in urban communities in Florida.
The amount of biomass available is usually not as great as stated in the example above.
Many times, especially in Europe where large agricultural developments are not usual,
the cost for transporting the biomass overcomes its actual value and therefore the
gathering ground has to be limited to a certain small area. This fact leads to only small
possible power outputs around 1 MWel. To make an economic operation possible those
power plants have to be equipped with the ORC technology, a cycle similar to the water
steam power process just with an organic working medium. Such small power plants can
be found in Europe.
Despite harvesting, biomass crops may sequester (trap) carbon. So for example soil
organic carbon has been observed to be greater in switchgrass stands than in cultivated
cropland soil, especially at depths below 12 inches.[ The grass sequesters the carbon in its
increased root biomass. Typically, perennial crops sequester much more carbon than
annual crops due to much greater non-harvested living biomass, both living and dead,
built up over years, and much less soil disruption in cultivation.
Using biomass as a fuel produces the same air-pollution challenges as other fuels. Black
carbon -a pollutant created by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels, and
biomass- is possibly the second largest contributor to global warming.In 2009 a Swedish
study of the giant brown haze that periodically covers large areas in South Asia
determined that it had been principally produced by biomass burning, and to a lesser
extent by fossil-fuel burning. Researchers measured a significant concentration of 14C,
which is associated with recent plant life rather than with fossil fuels.
Anaerobic digestion
The digestion process begins with bacterial hydrolysis of the input materials in order to
break down insoluble organic polymers such as carbohydrates and make them available
for other bacteria. Acidogenic bacteria then convert the sugars and amino acids into
carbon dioxide, hydrogen, ammonia, and organic acids. Acetogenic bacteria then convert
these resulting organic acids into acetic acid, along with additional ammonia, hydrogen,
and carbon dioxide. Methanogens, finally are able to convert these products to methane
and carbon dioxide.
Previously, the technical expertise required to maintain anaerobic digesters coupled with
high capital costs and low process efficiencies had limited the level of its industrial
application as a waste treatment technology. Anaerobic digestion facilities have,
however, been recognised by the United Nations Development Programme as one of the
most useful decentralised sources of energy supply, as they are less capital intensive than
large power plants.
The process
There are a number of microorganisms that are involved in the process of anaerobic
digestion including acetic acid-forming bacteria (acetogens) and methane-forming
archaea (methanogens). These organisms feed upon the initial feedstock, which
undergoes a number of different processes converting it to intermediate molecules
including sugars, hydrogen & acetic acid before finally being converted to biogas.
Different species of bacteria are able to survive at different temperature ranges. Ones
living optimally at temperatures between 35-40°C are called mesophiles or mesophilic
bacteria. Some of the bacteria can survive at the hotter and more hostile conditions of 55-
60°C, these are called thermophiles or thermophilic bacteria.[34] Methanogens come from
the primitive group of archaea. This family includes species that can grow in the hostile
conditions of hydrothermal vents. These species are more resistant to heat and can
therefore operate at thermophilic temperatures, a property that is unique to bacterial
families.
As with aerobic systems the bacteria in anaerobic systems the growing and reproducing
microorganisms within them require a source of elemental oxygen to survive.[36]
THE PROCESS
There are four key biological and chemical stages of anaerobic digestion:
1. Hydrolysis
2. Acidogenesis
3. Acetogenesis
4. Methanogenesis
In most cases biomass is made up of large organic polymers. In order for the bacteria in
anaerobic digesters to access the energy potential of the material, these chains must first
be broken down into their smaller constituent parts. These constituent parts or monomers
such as sugars are readily available by other bacteria. The process of breaking these
chains and dissolving the smaller molecules into solution is called hydrolysis. Therefore
hydrolysis of these high molecular weight polymeric components is the necessary first
step in anaerobic digestion.[41] Through hydrolysis the complex organic molecules are
broken down into simple sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids.
Acetate and hydrogen produced in the first stages can be used directly by methanogens.
Other molecules such as volatile fatty acids (VFA’s) with a chain length that is greater
than acetate must first be catabolised into compounds that can be directly utilised by
methanogens.[42]
The third stage anaerobic digestion is acetogenesis. Here simple molecules created
through the acidogenesis phase are further digested by acetogens to produce largely
acetic acid as well as carbon dioxide and hydrogen.[44]
A simplified generic chemical equation for the overall processes outlined above is as
follows: C6H12O6 → 3CO2 + 3CH4
Energy content:
A plastic container used in the United States for storing gasoline.
Gasoline contains about 32.0 MJ/L (9.67 kWh/L, 132 MJ/US gal or 36.6 kWh/US gal).
This is an average; gasoline blends differ, and therefore actual energy content varies from
season to season and from batch to batch, by up to 4% more or less than the average,
according to the US EPA. On average, about 19.5 US gallons (16.2 imp gal; 74 L) of
gasoline are available from a 42-US-gallon (35 imp gal; 160 L) barrel of crude oil (about
46% by volume), varying due to quality of crude and grade of gasoline. The remaining
residue comes off as products ranging from tar to naptha.
Volumetric and mass energy density of some fuels compared with gasoline:
BTU/Imp BTU/US Research octane
Fuel type[clarification needed] MJ/litre MJ/kg
gal gal number (RON)
Min 91[clarification
87 Octane Gasoline 32.0 44.4[12] 150,100 125,000 needed]
(*) Diesel fuel is not used in a gasoline engine, so its low octane rating is not an issue; the relevant metric
for diesel engines is the cetane number
A high octane fuel such as Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has a lower energy content
than lower octane gasoline, resulting in an overall lower power output at the regular
compression ratio an engine ran at on gasoline. However, with an engine tuned to the use
of LPG (i.e. via higher compression ratios such as 12:1 instead of 8:1), this lower power
output can be overcome. This is because higher-octane fuels allow for a higher
compression ratio - this means less space in a cylinder on its combustion stroke, hence a
higher cylinder temperature which improves efficiency according to Carnot's theorem,
along with fewer wasted hydrocarbons (therefore less pollution and wasted energy),
bringing higher power levels coupled with less pollution overall because of the greater
efficiency.
The main reason for the lower energy content (per litre) of LPG in comparison to
gasoline is that it has a lower density. Energy content per kilogram is higher than for
gasoline (higher hydrogen to carbon ratio). The weight-density of gasoline is about
740 kg/m³ (6.175 lb/US gal; 7.416 lb/imp gal).
Different countries have some variation in what RON (Research Octane Number) is
standard for gasoline, or petrol. In the UK, ordinary regular unleaded petrol is 91 RON
(not commonly available), premium unleaded petrol is always 95 RON, and super
unleaded is usually 97-98 RON. However both Shell and BP produce fuel at 102 RON
for cars with hi-performance engines, and the supermarket chain Tesco began in 2006 to
sell super unleaded petrol rated at 99 RON. In the US, octane ratings in unleaded fuels
can vary between 86-87 AKI (91-92 RON) for regular, through 89-90 AKI (94-95 RON)
for mid-grade (European Premium), up to 90-94 AKI (95-99 RON) for premium
(European Super).
- The main disadvantage is the loss of the organic waste for compost or fertilizer
-Very limited in the quantity of electricity it can produce on the global scale
-There is little or no control on the rate of gas production, although the gas can, to
some extent be stored and used as required.
Biomass energy is the utilization of energy stored in organic matter. Examples of biomass
include wood, leaves, animal waste, crops, bones, and scales. The abundant plant life is
our planet is natures store house of solar energy and chemical resources. Whether
cultivated by man, or growing wild, plant matter represents a massive quantity of a
renewable resource that we call biomass. Put another way, biomass is stored solar energy
that can be converted to electricity or fuel. Biomass is a renewable resource.
Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water from the earth are combined in the
photosynthetic process to produce carbohydrates or sugars. These sugars form the
building blocks of biomass. The solar energy that drives photosynthesis is stored in the
chemical bonds of the structural components of biomass. If biomass is burnt efficiently,
That is to extract the energy stored in the chemical bonds, oxygen from the atmosphere
combines with the carbon in plants to produce carbon dioxide and water. The process is
cyclic because the carbon dioxide is then available to produce new biomass. Thus
biomass is definitely a renewable energy source. The organic matters are burned directly
to produce heat or they are refined to produce fuel like ethanol or other alcoholic fuels.
The chemical composition of biomass varies among different species, but in general
biomass consists of :
25% lignin
The most important advantage of biomass is that it is everywhere and very easily
available. In the agriculture industry, residuals like bagasse (fibers) from sugarcane, straw
from rice and wheat, hulls and nutshells, as well as manure lagoons from cattle, poultry
and hog farms are usable. Similarly, the timber industry has a lot to offer. Wood wastes
like sawdust, timber slash and mill scrap are considered organic materials. Even in cities,
paper and yard wastes are usable. Fully utilized biomass reduces pollution in
underground water bodies by offsetting the amount of waste in landfills. Methane and
other poisonous gases that form from dead organic matters can be found in landfills and
water treatment plants. These can be captured and converted in to fuels suitable for
generating electricity.
Economic benefits :
Rural economies will grow because of the development of a local industry to convert
biomass to either electricity or transportation fuel. Because biomass feedstocks are bulky
and costly to transport, conversion facilities will be located where the crop is grown.
That means more people have chances of getting employed. Farmers will see their
income rise thanks to these new markets -- for both agricultural wastes and crops that can
be grown sustainably on marginal land. As new markets are created, the rural economy
will become more diversified.
Energy benefits :
Energy producers and consumers will have available a renewable energy option with
uniquely desirable characteristics. Biomass has the greatest potential of any renewable
energy option for baseload electric power production. It is also the renewable resource
with the most promise for producing economically competitive liquid transportation
fuels. Co-production facilities will allow the production of electricity when it is needed
and ethanol when it is not -- acting, in effect, as "seasonal peaking" facilities. The energy
security of a nation will be significantly enhanced. With sustainable agricultural
practices, biomass fuels could replace half or more of the nation's entire current level of
gasoline consumption. Burning new biomass contributes no new carbon dioxide to the
atmosphere because if we replant harvested biomass, carbon dioxide is returned to the
cycle of new growth. Bioconversion and thermal conversion techniques for transforming
biomass into fuels are currently under development at NREL and other research
laboratories. These new technologies will reduce our reliance on oil and coal with no net
addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. New thermal conversion techniques
coupled with chemical catalysis are making it possible to exploit the previously discarded
lignin fraction by converting it into valuable chemicals that we now get from non-
renewable fossil sources.
Environmental benefits:
The burning method of biomass is not clean. I is similar to the burning of fossil fuels and
produces large amounts of carbon dioxide. However, it produces much less harmful
pollutants (e.g. sulfur), as the main elements found in organic materials are hydrogen,
carbon, oxygen and nitrogen. Furthermore, the extra energy crops and other plants can
consume the additional carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.
The term "biomass" encompasses diverse fuels derived from timber, agriculture and food
processing wastes or from fuel crops that are specifically grown or reserved for electricity
generation. Biomass fuel can also include sewage sludge and animal manure. Some
biomass fuels are derived from trees. Given the capacity of trees to regenerate, these fuels
are considered renewable. Burning crop residues, sewage or manure - all wastes that are
continually generated by society -- to generate electricity may offer environmental
benefits in the form of preserving precious landfill space OR may be grown and
harvested in ways that cause environmental harm.
In terms of capacity, biomass power plants represent the second largest amount of
renewable energy in the nation.
Because biomass technologies use combustion processes to produce electricity, they can
generate electricity at any time, unlike wind and most solar technologies, which only
produce when the wind is blowing or sun is shining. Biomass power plants currently
represent 11,000 MW - the second largest amount of renewable energy in the nation.
This high NOx rate, an effect of the high nitrogen content of many biomass fuels, is
one of the top air quality concerns associated with biomass.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is also emitted - sometimes at levels higher than those for coal
plants.
Biomass plants also release carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary greenhouse gas. However,
the cycle of growing, processing and burning biomass recycles CO2 from the
atmosphere. If this cycle is sustained, there is little or no net gain in atmospheric CO2.
Given that short rotation woody crops (i.e., fast growing woody plant types) can be
planted, matured and harvested in shorter periods of time than natural growth forests, the
managed production of biomass fuels may recycle CO2 in one-third less time than natural
processes.
Biomass power plants also divert wood waste from landfills, which reduces the
productions and atmospheric release of methane, another potent greenhouse gas.
Another air quality concern associated with biomass plants is particulates. These
emissions can be readily controlled through conventional technologies. To date, no
biomass facilities have installed advanced particulate emission controls. Still, most
particulate emissions are relatively large in size. Their impacts upon human health remain
unclear.
The collection of biomass fuels can have significant environmental impacts. Harvesting
timber and growing agricultural products for fuel requires large volumes to be collected,
transported, processed and stored. Biomass fuels may be obtained from supplies of clean,
uncontaminated wood that otherwise would be landfilled or from sustainable harvests. In
both of these fuel collection examples, the net environmental plusses of biomass are
significant when compared to fossil fuel collection alternatives. On the other hand, the
collection, processing and combustion of biomass fuels may cause environmental
problems if, for example, the fuel source contains toxic contaminants, agricultural waste
handling pollutes local water resources, or burning biomass deprives local ecosystems of
nutrients that forest or agricultural waste may otherwise provide.